Instrument interface

ABSTRACT

A mechanical interface for a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrument and a drive system without causing movement of an actuated portion of the instrument. An instrument interface can include a symmetrical, tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument or a drive system and a complementary bore in the other of the drive system or the medical instrument. Symmetry of the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compression fit to the bore regardless of the rotation angle of the drive system relative to the medical instrument.

BACKGROUND

Robotically controlled systems such as employed for minimally invasivemedical procedures can include large and complex equipment to preciselycontrol and drive relatively small tools or instruments. (As usedherein, the terms “robot” or “robotically” and the like includeteleoperation or telerobotic aspects.) FIG. 1A illustrates an example ofa known robotically controlled system 100. System 100, which may, forexample, be part of a da Vinci® Surgical System available from IntuitiveSurgical, Inc., includes a patient-side cart 110 having multiple arms130. Each arm 130 has a docking port 140 that generally includes a drivesystem with a mechanical interface for mounting and providing mechanicalpower for operation of an instrument 150. Arms 130 can be used during amedical procedure to move and position respective medical instruments150 for the procedure.

FIG. 1B shows a bottom view of a known instrument 150. Instrument 150generally includes a transmission or backend mechanism 152, a main tube154 extending from the backend mechanism 152, and a functional tip 156at the distal end of the main tube 154. Tip 156 generally includes amedical tool such as a scalpel, scissors, forceps, or a cauterizinginstrument that can be used during a medical procedure. Drive cables ortendons 155 connect to tip 156 and extend through main tube 154 tobackend mechanism 152 Backend mechanism 152 typically provides amechanical coupling between the drive tendons of the instrument 150 andmotorized axes of the mechanical interface of a drive system 140. Inparticular, gears or disks 153 having features such as projections orholes that are positioned, sized, and shaped to engage complementaryfeatures on the mechanical interface of a drive system 140. In a typicalinstrument, rotation of disks 153 pulls on respective tendons 155 andactuates corresponding mechanical links in tip 156. System 100 can thuscontrol movement and tension in drive tendons 155 as needed to position,orient, and operate tip 156. Further details of known surgical systemsare described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,745 to Tierney etal., entitled “Surgical Robotic Tools, Data Architecture, and Use,”which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Instruments 150 of system 100 can be interchanged by removing oneinstrument 150 from a drive system 140 and then installing anotherinstrument 150 in place of the instrument removed. The installationprocess in general requires that the features on disks 153 properlyengage complementary features of the drive system 140. However, beforeinstallation, the orientations of disks 153 on instrument 150 aregenerally unknown to patient-side cart 110. Further, equipment suchpatient-side cart 110 is often covered for a medical procedure by asterile barrier because of the difficulty in cleaning and sterilizingcomplex equipment between medical procedures. These sterile barriers caninclude a sterile adaptor (not shown) that is interposed between dockingport 140 and instrument backend 152. For example, above referenced U.S.Pat. No. 7,048,745 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,855 to Anderson et al.,entitled “Sterile Surgical Adaptor”, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, describe some exemplary sterile barrier andadaptor systems.

A typical installation process for an instrument 150 involves mountingbackend mechanism 152 without regard for the orientations of disks 153on a drive system 140, possibly with an intervening sterile adaptor. Thedrive motors in drive system 140 may be then be rotated back and forthmultiple times during the installation procedure to ensure that thecomplementary features mesh with and securely engage each other foroperation of the newly installed instrument 150. At some point duringthe installation process, the drive motors become securely engaged torotate respective disks 153. However, the instrument 150 being installedmay move in an unpredictable manner at times during the installationprocedure because the drive motors positively engage respective disks153 of instrument 150 at different and unpredictable times. Suchunpredictable motion is unacceptable when an instrument is inserted in apatient. In general, clear space is required around an instrument 150 toaccommodate random movements of the instrument tip during aninstallation procedure.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a mechanical interfacefor a robotic medical instrument permits engagement of the instrumentand a drive system without causing movement of the tip of theinstrument. Accordingly, an instrument can be engaged with the drivesystem in a patient-side cart after the instrument is manually posed ina desired configuration or even after the instrument has been insertedfor a medical procedure. This permits manual insertion of an instrumentfollowed by robotic control of the instrument.

In one embodiment, an instrument interface includes a symmetrical,tapered or cylindrical projection on one of a medical instrument and adrive system (potentially including a sterile barrier) and acomplementary bore in the other of the drive system or the instrument.With cylindrical projection and bore, the diameter of the bore cancontract, for example, using the tension in a tendon wrapped around themechanical element containing the bore, to reduce the diameter of thebore and provide the instrument with frictional forces sufficient totransmit driving torque to the medical instrument. In any case, symmetryof the projection and the bore allows the projection to be compressionfit into the bore regardless of the rotation angle of the drive systemrelative to the instrument.

In one specific embodiment of the invention, a system includes a medicalinstrument and a drive system. The medical instrument includes arotatable element that when rotated actuates the medical instrument. Thedrive system has an interface configured to releasably engage themedical instrument, and a first feature of the rotatable element and asecond feature of the interface are shaped to engage each other withoutinducing rotation that actuates the medical instrument.

Another embodiment of the invention is a medical instrument. The medicalinstrument includes an actuated structure and a mechanical elementconnected so that rotation of the mechanical element actuates theactuated structure. The mechanical element has an engagement featureshaped such that for any pose of the actuated structure, the engagementfeature can engage a complementary engagement feature on a drive systemwithout inducing rotation that actuates the actuated structure.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is a drive system for a medicalinstrument. The drive system includes a motor; and an interface coupledto the motor and configured to releasably engage the medical instrumentso that rotation of the motor actuates the medical instrument. Theinterface includes an engagement feature shaped such that for any poseof the medical instrument, the engagement feature can engage acomplementary engagement feature of the medical instrument withoutinducing rotation that actuates the medical instrument.

Still another embodiment of the invention is a method for engaging amedical instrument and a drive system. The method includes bringing afirst feature on a rotatable element of the medical instrument intocontact with a second feature on a drive element of the drive systemwithout rotating either of the elements. An engagement force is thenapplied to create friction between the rotatable element and the driveelement without rotating either of the elements. When thus engaged, thedrive system can be operated to actuate the medical instrument, and thefriction transfers torque that the drive system applies to the firstrotatable element to the second rotatable element and thereby actuatesthe mechanical instrument.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a patient-side cart of a robotically controlled systemthat may employ a medical instrument in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 1B shows a bottom view of a known medical instrument employingdrive gears or disks that require rotation for alignment with a drivemotor.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in which an instrument canengage a set of drive motors without movement or actuation of theworking tip of the instrument.

FIG. 3 shows a drive motor and a mechanical element of a backendmechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in which thedrive motor can engage the backend mechanism without turning of themechanical element.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a portion ofa sterile adaptor is interposed between a drive motor and a mechanicalelement of the backend mechanism of a medical instrument.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention in which a medicalinstrument has tapered projections that can engage drive motors withoutmovement or actuation of the tip of the medical instrument.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention that uses compression causedby a tendon wrapped around a capstan to contract a bore in the capstanand engage a drive motor.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing a floatingor loose shaft to accommodate misalignment between a drive mechanism anda medical instrument.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing a flexibleshaft to accommodate misalignment between a drive mechanism and amedical instrument.

Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similaror identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a medical instrument canbe installed on and engaged with a drive system without actuating orotherwise moving the joints or tip of the instrument. Engagement withoutactuation can be implemented using symmetric mechanical elements thatsecurely engage through compression or friction to maintain the relativeorientation of a drive mechanism and the mechanical interface of theinstrument. In one embodiment, a symmetric tapered shaft of a drivesystem or a backend mechanism fits into a symmetric tapered bore or slotin a mechanical element of the backend mechanism or drive system, andfriction maintains the orientation of the shaft and the slottedmechanical element. In another specific embodiment, a symmetric shaftcan be inserted into a mechanical element containing a bore thatcontracts in diameter to securely hold the relative orientation of theshaft and the mechanical element. For example, a shaft of a drive motorcan fit into a bore within a capstan that is sufficiently flexible thattension in a tendon wrapped around the capstan causes the bore tocollapse onto the shaft. The ability to install an instrument withoutactuating the instrument allows posing of the instrument in a desiredconfiguration before the instrument is installed on a drive system andallows installation of an instrument after the instrument has beeninserted into a cannula or even into a patient.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a medicalinstrument 200 has a backend mechanism 210 that mounts on a drive system220 having one or more tapered drive shafts 230. Drive system 220 may bepart of a docking port or a tool holder of a medical system such as thepatient-side cart 110 of FIG. 1, which allows instrument 200 to beinstalled or removed for different medical procedures or during amedical procedure. Tapered shafts 230 can be the shafts of drive motors240 of drive system 220 or can be separate elements that attach to themotor shafts and transmit motor rotation to backend mechanism 210 formovement of a jointed section of instrument 200, e.g., an instrument tip156. In general, instrument tip 156 can be of any desired type but isillustrated in FIG. 2 as being on the distal end of a main shaft 154through which tendons 155 extend and connect to tip 156. Backendmechanism 210 generally contains a transmission mechanism (not shown)that converts the rotation of motors 240 into movement of tendons 155which operate the joints of instrument 200 including joints in tip 156.

Tapered shafts 230 can be simple, low cost, and robust mechanicalelements that are precisely machined using conventional techniques toproduce a tapered shape with a circular cross-section. Many types oftapers could be employed on tapered shafts 230. For example, Morsetapers with or without an end tang or guide could be used. Taperedshafts 230 are free to spin on their axis and are symmetric about theirrespective rotation axes, i.e., have circular cross-sections.

Each tapered shaft 220 is further shaped to fit into a complementarytapered hole 250 or slot in a mechanical element 260 of backendmechanism 210. Mechanical element 260 may be, for example, ahollowed-out spindle having a tapered hole 250 that matches the shape ofthe corresponding tapered shaft 230 and in particular has circularcross-sections matching those of tapered shafts 220. More generally,tapered holes 250 can be formed in any mechanical elements 260 ofinstrument backend 210 that are free to spin on their axis, where amechanical transmission system of backend mechanism 210 converts therotations of the slotted mechanical elements 260 into movements oftendons 155 and instrument tip 156. For example, FIG. 3 shows how atapered shaft 230 of a motor 240 directly fits into a tapered hole orbore 250 in a capstan 260. In one specific embodiment, tapered holes 250are formed in capstans that transmit the motion to tendons 155 asdescribed in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2010/0082041, entitled “PassivePreload and Capstan Drive for Surgical Instruments,” which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. More generally, a capstan isjust one example of a mechanical element 260 that may be employed withinbackend mechanism 210 to convert motor rotation into tendon movement andinstrument actuation.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates how a sterile adaptor 400 in a sterilebarrier can be interposed between a drive element 440 and a mechanicalelement 260 that is rotatable to actuate a medical instrument. In theillustrated configuration, sterile adaptor 400 includes an element 410that is free to rotate in a circumferential bearing 420 that maintains asterile barrier by means of a labyrinth seal that performs the desiredmedical function while allowing element 410 to rotate about an axiscorresponding to the rotation axis of drive element 440 and rotatableelement 260. Element 410 may be, for example, of a layer of amechanically resistant plastic about 0.5 to 2 mm thick that is molded tobe interposed between drive element 440 and a hole 250 in rotatableelement 260. In particular, element 410 in FIG. 4 is shaped to receivedrive element 440 on the manipulator side and to have a projection thatfits into tapered hole 250 in rotatable element 260 that is part of thebackend mechanism of a medical instrument. A sterile sheet 430 or otherportions of the sterile barrier can be connected to bearing 420 tomaintain surgical field sterility. FIG. 4 illustrates features of asterile adaptor in a schematic fashion to illustrate general workingprinciples relevant to the present invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,048,745and 7,699,855, which are incorporated by reference above, provideadditional description of the features of some sterile adaptors formedical instruments.

FIG. 4 also shows an embodiment of the invention in which drive element440 has a tapered shape that can engage barrier element 410 withoutrotation. Alternatively, drive element 440 could have a keyed or roughsurface, and barrier element could be smooth but sufficiently compliantto be forced onto drive element 440. In yet another alternativeembodiment, drive element 440 has a keyed engagement feature withprojections or indentations that engage complementary features ofbarrier element 410. With keyed features on drive element 440 and themanipulator side of barrier element 410, rotation of drive element 440or barrier element 410 may be necessary in order to align the keyedfeatures when the sterile barrier is fitted to a manipulator. However,the sterile barrier can be fitted to the manipulator once for a medicalprocedure and is fitted before any medical instruments are engaged onthe manipulator. Rotation of drive element 440, barrier element 410, orrotatable element 260 is not required when engaging an instrument on thedrive system because the instrument side of barrier element 410 has asurface shaped to fit bore 250 without any rotation.

Instrument engagement using the system of FIG. 2 can be performed byslipping the holes 240 in instrument backend 210 onto tapered shafts 230of docking port 220, with or without an interposed sterile adapter. Alatch or other mechanism 270 can be used to provide an engagement forcethat presses backend mechanism 210 onto docking port 220 and drivestapered shafts 230 into tapered holes 250. The shapes of shafts 230 andholes 250 automatically accommodate some initial misalignment betweeninstrument 200 and drive system 220 since the tapers guide shafts 230and holes 250 into the desired relative positions. Additionalmisalignment between backend mechanism 210 and docking port 220 orrelative misalignment or spacing variation of the drive axes of backendmechanism 210 or docking port 220 can be accommodated using flexiblemountings for tapered shafts 230 or slotted elements 260 as describedfurther below. When engaged and held in place, compression and thefriction across the entire surface of each tapered shaft 230 contactingthe matching inner surface of a corresponding hole 240 can provide alarge amount of torque transmission, so that keys or gear teeth are notrequired to transfer torque or rotational movement from drive system 220to backend mechanism 210. Further, no rotation of motors 240 or slottedmechanical elements 260 of backend mechanism 210 is required during theengagement procedure. Also, the instrument can be engaged while havingany desired configuration of slotted elements 260 and any pose of tip156, and instrument tip 156 does not move during engagement. The lack oftip movement makes the engagement process possible while tip 156 isinserted in a cannula or even at an operating site within a patient.

Control of medical instrument 200 after engagement of backend mechanism210 and drive system 220 can be based on a measurement of the pose(e.g., the positions of joints) of medical instrument 210 andmeasurements of the rotation angles of each of motors 240.Alternatively, a control process using differences between measured anddesired instrument pose or configuration could be employed. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/945,734, entitled, “Tension Control in Actuationof Multi-Joint Medical Instruments” and U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/780,417, entitled “Drive Force Control in Medical InstrumentProviding Position Measurements” describe exemplary systems for controlof medical instruments and are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system in which drive system 220 includes one ormore tapered shafts 230 and instrument backend 210 includescomplementary tapered holes 230. FIG. 5 illustrates a system inaccordance with an alternative embodiment in which tapered shafts 530extend from a backend mechanism 510 of a medical instrument 500 and arerotated to operate the transmission within backend mechanism 510 andactuate or move joints of instrument 500. In this configuration, motors240 in a drive system 520 have shafts with fixtures 540 shaped toprovide tapered holes 550 that are complementary to the shape of taperedshafts 530 or an interposed portion of a sterile adaptor. Other than thereversing of the positions of the tapered shafts and the tapered holes,backend mechanism 510 and instrument holder 520 of system 500 can beengaged and operated in the same manner as backend mechanism 210 andinstrument holder 220 of system 200, which is described above withreference to FIG. 2. As described above, a docking system can attachmedical instrument 500 to drive system 520 and apply an engagement forceso that the friction between features 530 and 540 is sufficient totransmit the torque required for operation of medical instrument 500.The docking system could include, for example, a latch 270 and a springpreload 570.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a motor in a drivesystem can operate a mechanical element of a backend mechanism through africtional engagement created by radial compression of a hole or bore ina mechanical element. FIG. 6, for example, illustrates a system 600including a motor 240 having a cylindrical shaft 630 that fits within acylindrical bore in a mechanical element 660 of a backend mechanism suchas backend mechanism 210 of FIG. 2. Mechanical element 660 is a capstan,and a drive tendon 655, which may attach to an articulated joint of theinstrument, is wound around capstan 660. Tendon 655 can be a cable, awire, a filament, or similar structure that is able to wrap aroundcapstan 660 and may be made of metal or a synthetic material. Capstan660 is radially flexible so that the application of tension in tendon655 causes the diameter of the bore in capstan 660 to decrease, therebyclamping capstan 660 onto shaft 630 with or without an intervening,substantially cylindrical plastic component of a sterile barrier (notshown). One more surface of the sterile barrier component, capstan 660,or shaft 630 may include splines, teeth, or other features to improvethe traction and torque transmission capability of the engagement,provided that the other surface of the sterile adaptor can engage thecontoured surface without rotation. However, meshing of the splines orteeth of two surfaces generally requires rotation of shaft 630 andcapstan 660, which may be undesirable.

The process of engaging the instrument on a drive system including motor240 may further begin with tendon 655 being sufficiently relaxed so thatshaft 630 (with or without an interposed portion of a sterile barrier)can slide into the bore of mechanical element 660, without any rotationof mechanical element 660. Shaft 630 and the bore of mechanical element660 can be symmetrical (e.g., have a circular cross-section) so thatshaft 630 can be inserted into mechanical element 660 regardless of therelative orientation of shaft 630 and mechanical element 660. Amechanism within the backend mechanism can then increase or apply thepre-tension to tendon 655 to cause the wraps of tendon 655 to clampflexible mechanical element 660 on shaft 630. For example, displacing acapstan in a proximal direction relative to the body of an instrumentcan increase the tension in both ends of a tendon extending from thecapstan, causing opposing torques on a joint coupled to the ends oftendon 655. As a result, no joint movement occurs when the tension isincreased. Alternatively, when only one end of tendon 655 attaches to anarticulated joint, pre-tension in tendon 655 can be preset to permitinsertion of shaft 630 (with at least one smooth, cylindrical interfacebetween the capstan, sterile barrier, and input shaft) into capstan 660,so that capstan 660 couples more strongly to shaft 630 when driven in adirection that increases tension in tendon 655. Capstan 660 may then bepermitted to slip relative to shaft 630 when driven in the reversedirection.

Motor shaft 630 and the bore of mechanical element 660 do not havetapering that accommodates misalignment in the same manner asembodiments of the invention using tapered shafts and holes. However,compliance can be provided in shaft 630 or capstan 660 to accommodateinitial misalignment of motor 240 and capstan 660 during an engagementprocess. FIG. 7, for example, shows an embodiment of the invention inwhich a capstan 760 is loosely retained in a structure 770 of thebackend mechanism in such a way that capstan 760 can move into alignmentwith shaft 530 and then be supported primarily by shaft 630 and thebearings of motor 240 when capstan 760 is engaged with motor 630.Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, a capstan 860 may be supported bybearings 870 in the backend mechanism of an instrument but incorporate aflexure, e.g., a spring or helical structure, to allow movement foralignment of shaft 630 and capstan 860. The compliance of the mountingsshown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can accommodate misalignment of a drive elementin a drive system and a corresponding rotatable element in a medicalinstrument and accommodate differences in the spacing or orientation ofmultiple drive elements in a drive system relative to the correspondingrotatable elements in a medical instrument.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particularembodiments, the description is only an example of the invention'sapplication and should not be taken as a limitation. Various adaptationsand combinations of features of the embodiments disclosed are within thescope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1-33. (canceled)
 34. A method for engaging a medical instrument and adrive system, comprising: bringing a first feature on a rotatableelement of the medical instrument into contact with a second feature ona drive element of the drive system without restricting a rotation angleof the first feature relative to the second feature; applying anengagement force to create friction between the first and secondfeatures, wherein bringing the first feature into contact with thesecond feature and applying the engagement force engages the first andthe second features without inducing rotation that actuates the medicalinstrument; and operating the drive system to actuate a component of themedical instrument, wherein the friction transfers torque that the driveelement applies to the rotatable element to actuate the component. 35.The method of claim 34, further comprising determining a pose of themedical instrument after engaging the medical instrument and the drivesystem.
 36. The method of claim 34, wherein: one of the first and secondfeatures comprises a tapered projection; another of the first and secondfeatures comprise a tapered hole in which the tapered projection fits;and applying the engagement force comprises pressing a taperedprojection into the tapered hole.
 37. The method of claim 34, wherein:one of the first and second features comprises a bore in a capstanaround which a tendon is wrapped; another of the first and secondfeatures fits within the bore; and applying the engagement forcecomprises applying tension to the tendon so that a diameter of the boredecreases.
 38. The method of claim 34, wherein the second feature ispart of an adaptor in a sterile barrier.
 39. The method of claim 34,further comprising determining a pose of the medical instrument afterapplying the engagement force.
 40. A method for engaging a medicalinstrument and a drive system, wherein the medical instrument comprisesa first interface that includes a plurality of first elements, each ofthe first elements including a first feature that is rotatable toactuate a component of the medical instrument, and wherein the drivesystem comprises a second interface that includes a plurality of driveelements, each of the drive elements including a second feature shapedto engage a corresponding one of the first elements, the methodcomprising: bringing the first interface into contact with the secondinterface without restricting rotation angles of the first featuresrelative to the second features; applying an engagement force to createfriction between the first and second features, wherein bringing thefirst interface into contact with the second interface and applying theengagement force engages the first and the second features withoutinducing rotation that actuates the medical instrument; and operatingthe drive system to actuate the components of the medical instrument,wherein the friction transfers torques that the drive elements apply tothe first features to actuate the components of the medical instrument.41. The method of claim 40, wherein each of the drive elements comprisesa drive motor, and each of the second features comprises a portion of anadaptor in a sterile barrier that is between the drive motors and themedical instrument.
 42. The method of claim 40, wherein: bringing thefirst interface into contact with the second interface comprisesinserting tapered projections that correspond to one of the firstfeatures and the second features into tapered holes that are in theother of the first features and the second features; and applying theengagement force comprises pressing the tapered projections into thetapered holes.
 43. The method of claim 40, wherein: bringing the firstinterface into contact with the second interface comprises inserting aplurality of projections that correspond to one of the first featuresand the second features into bores in a plurality of capstans thatcorrespond to the other of the first features and the second features;and applying the engagement force comprises applying tensions to tendonswrapped around the capstans so that each of the bores decreases indiameter.
 44. The method of claim 40, further comprising determining apose of the medical instrument after applying the engagement force.